1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a single lens reflex camera or the like which is equipped with a finder optical system and a roof prism. In particular, the invention relates to a camera that ms equipped with a flexible printed circuit board (referred to hereafter as an FPC board) to which an electric circuit component mounted inside the camera is attached and electrical connectors for electrically connecting an electrical board and the like to a mounting board.
2. Description of Related Art
In recent cameras, with the shift to many functions, multiple electrical boards are generally assembled and installed, and each is electrically connected.
Conventionally, a so-called soldered bridge method that connects a conductive exposure component on both board surfaces by soldering is generally used as the electrical board connecting method.
In addition, for this type of arrangement, multiple boards are merely arranged in places which have flat surfaces maintained and extra space.
For example, suitable electrical boards are positioned in the camera along a top inclining roof surface of the roof prism, which is the prism that forms the finder optical system, or along a flat surface or the like that is approximately parallel to the top of the main camera body. Alternatively, the boards are positioned between the roof prism and the flat surface in an approximately perpendicular condition, parallel to the side surface of the roof prism.
In this type of structure, when one tries to connect the FPC board, which is the electrical board that is positioned along the roof surface of the roof prism, to the mounting board, which is the electrical board that is positioned parallel to the side surface of the roof prism, a method is employed by which one portion of the FPC board is bent, because the board surfaces of these boards are not on the same flat surface. After which both board surfaces are prepared, the above-mentioned soldering is performed, and an electrical connection is made.
Since the electrical board arranged along the flat surface that is approximately parallel to the main camera body and the mounting board that is positioned parallel to the side surface of the roof prism are approximately perpendicular, the soldered bridge is normally accomplished by a method where a bead of solder is fused to the edge where the two surfaces intersect.
However, according to the conventional structure described above, on the soldered bridge that comprises the connection between the FPC board and an electrical board such as a rigid board or the like which is not on the same flat surface as the FPC board, an elastic force is introduced by the existence of the bent portion in one part of the FPC board. Thus, a stress is continually applied to the soldered bridge at which point the bridge could conceivably break.
In addition, because the solder bead is fused to the edge where the two surfaces intersect, on the soldered bridge portion that connects the boards that are arranged perpendicular to each other, as described above, the solder bead can easily separate, causing a discontinuity. The reliability of the electrical connection at this point is unavoidably low.
Furthermore, in the conventional connecting structure described above, because the elastic force from the bent portion of the FPC board or the like is an unnecessary force, the force causes interference with the surrounding components. It is therefore desirable to devise some means of eradicating these problems.